Wishful Thinking
by Crying Raven
Summary: I troubled girl who desperately needs a hero becomes the owner of a magic coin. The coin can grant wishes but because it is so old sometimes the wishes do not turn out as they should. See what happens when a lonely girl wishes that Ichigo was real.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters._

_Authors note: Ok if you are reading this and thinking where is Ichigo? Please be patient he is coming._

_Please read and review!_

**Chapter one.**

Elisabeth had always prided herself in her grip on reality. She wasn't like other young teenage girls who would spend all their time dreaming about boys or clothes. Elisabeth spent her time studying and planing for her future. Some people said that she had gown up fast because of her parents death in a house fire, and because of her injuries that she had sustained in that same fire. But Elisabeth thought she would have been mature even if that wouldn't have happened.

Everyday Elisabeth would walk to school alone and everyday she would walk home alone. She didn't really have any friends, no one wanted to make friends with someone who didn't know how to have fun.

Even though she spent most of her time studying and filling her mind with knowledge she still found time for her one guilty pleasure (reading fiction.) When she read fiction she could forget her life and pretend that she was someone else. She could forget that she had no friends because she met new people in her books.

Then on one normal snowy morning Elisabeth's life changed forever.

On her way past a small park that looked more like a garden then a real playground, she seen a old homeless man huddled on a bench. He was humming a tune and writing something in tiny black book. "You there." He called just as she passed him.

She stopped and turned around "Yes." She answered.

"Why does a young girl like yourself walk with such a frown on her face." He asked.

"I don't know what you mean." She said because she hadn't known she was frowning.

"You look as if you are tired of the world." He stated.

"I was just thinking." She told him.

"The scares on your face. Are they the reason you have lost your youth?" He asked bluntly.

Elisabeth put her hand to the left side of her face. Most people didn't talk about her scars unless they were being cruel. But this man wasn't being cruel, his clear blue eyes held no malice, only concern.

"I..don't know." She answered truthfully.

"You poor child." He said as he pulled a coin from his pocket. He walked the coin back and forth across his knuckles with fluid grace for what could have been a full minute, then he tucked it back into his pocket.

Elisabeth blinked and shifted from foot to foot, she didn't know why but she felt like she couldn't just leave the old man without doing something for him. "Here I want you to have this." She said and held out her bagged lunch to him.

He smiled a yellowed tooth grin and took the bag. "Thank you child your kindness will be repaid."

"You're welcome but I have to go or I'll be late for school." She said as she turned away.

She broke into a run so she could make up for lost time, yet she couldn't help but look back at the old man. Then when she looked back she didn't see him setting at the bench. She had only took her eyes of him for a few seconds, yet he was nowhere in sight.

Unable to feel satisfied that the man had vanished into thin air, Elisabeth walked back over to the bench in hopes of seeing his footprints in the newly fallen snow. But there were no foot prints, and the bench was covered with snow as if no one had been on it for hours.

Feeling slightly unnerved Elisabeth continued on to school and tried to put the old man out of her mind. That proved to be a task not easily accomplished considering that once lunch hour rolled around she had no food.

Hoping that buying a candy bar from the snack machine would get her through the day, Elisabeth reached into her pocket and pulled out her stash of change. There under her quarters and dimes was the coin the old man had been holding.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach._

_Authors note: Ichigo doesn't show up in this chapter, but he is coming. I have to build some plot or this won't be any good. _

_I would really like to thank my friend Jessica for encouraging me to write out my ideas. YOU ARE THE BEST!_

_Please read and review._

**Later, Raven.**

Chapter two

Throughout the rest of the day Elisabeth kept pulling out the coin and looking at it. She couldn't quite make out anything on its face because it was so old and warn. "Are you a magic coin?" She asked then laughed at herself for being so silly. There was no such thing as magic, nothing magical ever happened like in the books she loved so much. Still she couldn't explain how the coin had come to be in her pocket. She hadn't been standing close enough to the man for him to have put it there.

It was the end of the school day and Elisabeth was getting very hungry. Her stomach was complaining like crazy and she was feeling a little lightheaded.

"Gahh I just wish I had something to eat before I walk home." She mumbled to herself as she started down the hall toward her exit. Just as she was passing the cafeteria she heard someone yell "Watch out!" from the other side of the closed cafeteria door. No sooner then she heard this, the door was thrown open and a huge mass of frozen burritos came tumbling out along with a cafeteria worker.

"Are you okay?" Elisabeth said as she rushed forward to help the lady up. In her haste Elisabeth used her left and right hand to pull the woman up. As a rule she never used her scarred hand because it made people uncomfortable to look at it, much less be touched by it. Still she realized her mistake too late and the woman jerked back as soon as she recognized who was helping her up.

"I'm fine." The woman mumbled and blushed because she knew that jerking away had been rude.

"What happened?" Elisabeth asked.

"I'm not sure. I was just helping move this cart of stuff over to the freezer when it just got a mind of it's own and started tipping over." The worker answered.

Another woman came out of the kitchen with a frown on her face. "I seen it tipping and I yelled for her to look out but she didn't have time to move. It was just like someone flipped the thing." The woman added.

"That's weird." The accident victim stated.

"Well I'm glad your not hurt." Elisabeth told the girl and turned to leave.

"_It's kinda funny I was just thinking I would like something to eat, and the next thing I know burritos are flying out at me." _She laughed to herself once she had made it outside the school.

On her way home she stopped at the small park to set on the bench. the day had warmed up and almost all the snow had melted.

The cold weather made her scars ache so she felt a little relief from the warm sun on her face. She pulled out the coin again though she didn't know why, she just felt like she needed to look at it. And just as before it held no answers to her questions. Its back and front were so old and warn that it only had a suggestion of symbols (nothing tell tale that she could make sense of. She thought that it might have been gold but she wasn't sure. "I'll have to google coins tonight and see what I can find out about you." She said aloud and didn't even think it was odd that she was speaking to a inanimate object.

Elisabeth set on the bench for a few minutes just watching the other kids walk in groups down the sidewalk. Some laughed and giggled, others walked side by side and spoke to each other quietly. She was so busy lost in her own thoughts that she didn't see two boys cross to her side of the street.

"Hey freak!" The tallest one (Zack) called to her. She jerked her head up just in time to see them step up the curb.

"_Don't talk to them Liz."_ She told herself and started to get up from her seat. She knew these boys all to well and she didn't want to have anything to do with them.

"Aww where you going don't you want to talk to us?" The shorter one (Billy) asked.

"Yeah did you get shy all the sudden?" Zack asked and grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"Maybe she just don't have time for us?" Billy laughed. "I'll bet she's got a hot date tonight."

"Do you think anyone would fuck her? I mean her face looks like something out of a horror movie." Zack said and jerked her around to face him.

Liz felt her heart pounding, her ears were ringing and all she could think was that she had to get away.

"Maybe someone would fuck her if they put a bag over her head." Billy stated.

What happened next was all a blur, Liz was aware that one moment she was wishing she could break Billy and Zack's noses, and then she was standing over the two boys. Her fists hurt badly, Zack was shouting about his nose and Billy was just crying like a girl. People were starting to crowd around but Liz needed to get away. She shoved her way through the shocked crowd and ran all the way home.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: No I don't own Ichigo or Bleach._

_Authors note: Yay! I have this chapter done and Ichigo shows up in it. (I don't mind telling you because it's fairly obvious.) This might be my last chapter until next weekend, so see you then._

_PS Thanks for the reviews, and please keep them coming._

_Later, Raven. _

_**Chapter three**_

After getting home Liz tried to calm down. "Everything will be fine." She told herself as she hung up her coat. But she couldn't shake the feeling of unease, she had never in her life been a fighter. She had been the victim of violence but never the one to use it.

"Is that you Liz?" Her uncle (Charley) called from the kitchen.

She had been living with her uncle since the death of her parents. Charley was fun to live with for the most part, but he was not a natural care giver. He was a computer programer who was in love with his work. He could spend days at a time away from home working on some project or another. Liz didn't really mind because living with sweet uncle Charley was heaven compared to what her life had been like before.

"Yeah it's me, what's for dinner? " She asked because it was a long standing joke between them, and she desperately needed normalcy right then.

"If you don't feel like cooking I can order out." Charley stated and didn't even look up from what he was reading.

"No I don't mind cooking. But what do we have to cook?" She asked as she opened the all but empty refrigerator.

"I don't know. Didn't I take you shopping last Friday?" He said and spared her a glance.

"That was the Friday before last." She informed him.

"Oh, well in that case how about pizza?" He asked.

"Sounds good."

After dinner Liz took herself upstairs to her room for some reading. She had just got a new Bleach manga in the mail and she couldn't wait to read it.

Reading always made her feel better. She thought in some ways it was almost like a drug for her. She used books to take her mind off the real world, and she realized that probably wasn't a good thing, but she didn't really care.

Once the manga was done Liz set down at her computer and googled old coins. She looked at all the obvious possibilities of origin, like old roman coins and egyptian money, but she come up with zilch.

"Maybe you're just not as old as you look." She muttered to herself and the coin.

"Oh well I'll get some books about old coins the next time I'm at the library." She said as she crawled into bed. It was still early but she felt worn out from the day.

She place the coin on her night stand sighed heavily. She hoped tomorrow would be better then today had been.

XxXxX

For no reason at all Liz woke at 3:00 am. She assumed it was because she had gone to sleep so early and her system was all messed up. She knew that Charley had gone back to the office ergo she wasn't worried about waking him up. So after a quick potty break she went downstairs to find a snack.

While rooting around in the freezer she found a popsicle that may or may not have been passed it's prime. After a few licks it was completely clear that the pop had been laying too close to a pound of frozen meat, and was no longer fit for consumption.

"Yuck!" She said as she dropped the thing in the trash. "I wish I had a banana split right now." She sighed.

Deciding to go on to bed and forget about snacking she reached of the light switch. But what she seen laying on the counter stopped her. There on a plate lay a single banana split in two halves. It hadn't been pealed or anything, yet she was sure it hadn't been there before.

Carefully she picked up one piece of the banana and inspected it. The banana looked fresh so it had to have been cut recently. "Maybe I did it in my sleep." She told herself though she didn't believe it.

Without turning off the light or throwing the banana away Liz ran upstarted to her room. There on her bedside table was the object she sought. She picked up the coin and just held it for a long time. "I'm going crazy." She with and little laugh. "Can't be." She muttered when her mind would only come up with crazy thoughts like "_The coin is magic, and it's granting my wishes._"

She quickly tallied up to two odd happening from that day (not including how she had come by the coin) "Each time I made a wish something happened." She said aloud.

"_Ok, ok, calm down Liz. You can set this straight once and for all just be testing it. Then when you prove that you're just dreaming you can go back to sleep and forget all about it."_

"This is stupid, nothings going to happen. This is reality, not some dumb storybook." She scolded herself as she put the coin back in it's place. "I'm going to sleep and forgetting that I ever even considered making a wish on that coin!" She huffed and got back into bed.

She didn't turn out her bedside light right way so she could still see the coin laying there on her table. _"I'm defiantly going crazy." _She thought because she could have sworn it looked like it was glowing.

"_If I made a really outlandish wish then I would be sure if it came true or not. But what would I wish for? _

_Of course I could wish that my Mom wasn't dead but that never turns out well in the movies or in the books. No, it would have to be something that happens to me, because I would be the one making the wish. Ok so Liz what do you want that's absolutely never going to happen?_

Giggling softly at her own crazy thoughts her eye's wandered around the room at her poster collection._ "I could wish to be a world famous writer."_ She thought but decided that she wouldn't enjoy something like that if she didn't work for it.

Her eye's stopped on her poster of Ichigo. It was a poster she had ordered of the internet. In it he was wearing a jacket and thick gloves. And the part she liked most was his goggles that he was tugging down with one hand. She had loved the poster on sight and hung it right on her door (so she could look at it from her bed.)

Ichigo was one of her guilty pleasures that she barely even admitted to herself. She was a die hard Ichigo fangirl, though she wasn't as loud about it as some.

"_I could wish that I was in the bleach world." _She thought with a grin. _"But wait that's too broad of a wish, I could get zapped there and never even see Ichigo or the others. Humm I need a wish with no holes."_

Suddenly she set up and got out of bed. "What am I thinking? Am I really taking this seriously" She asked herself.

"No I'll just make a wish off the top of my head and be done with it. Then I can go to sleep because nothing will happen." She said aloud as she paced the floor.

She then pivoted on her heel, picked up the coin and marched over to her much loved poster of Ichigo. "I wish that I could live in the same house with Ichigo Kurosaki!" She announced dramatically.

She held her breath and told herself she was bing silly. Downstairs a grandfather clock ticked away, yet there she stood holding her breath, waiting for something to happen.

A full minute passed and nothing happened. With a heavy sigh Elisabeth turned off the light and crawled back into bed.

"You're a moron." She told herself as she pulled up the covers.

She was just dozing off when she remembered that she had left the kitchen light on. "Damn." She cursed and threw off the covers again.

Yawning hard, she left her room and started down the hallway to the stairs. She had made it to the first floor when she noticed that the light in the kitchen was already off.

"That's weird I could have sworn I didn't turn it– She was suddenly cut off buy a glove covered hand clamping over her mouth.

"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you. Just tell me where the hell I am and I'll let you go." Her captor breathed in her ear.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach._

_Authors note: I hope I kept Ichigo in character in this chapter, I don't think Ichigo would be very happy about his whole situation so ah I of course made him very upset._

_Please read and review and thank you so much for the other reviews._

_Later, Raven._

**Chapter four **

Elisabeth's mind raced, she didn't think there was anyway she could escape the steely grip of the man behind her. His arm felt like a iron band clamped around her waste, and it also held her arms trapped at her sides. She hoped perhaps she could lull him into a sense of security, so that he would let her go, and she could find a weapon.

"Can I talk to you without you screaming?" He asked.

"Um hum." She said against his hand.

Ichigo let the girl's mouth go. It rubbed his pride the wrong way having to scare her like this, but he needed answers.

"Do you know why I'm here? He questioned.

"No." She said, her voice quivering.

"Where are your parents?" He enquired.

"They're not here." She answered, then she could have kicked herself for being so stupid. She could have lied and told him that her parents were upstairs with a gun under their bed.

"So you're here alone then?" He asked in a voice that didn't sound nearly as scary as it should have.

She didn't trust herself to lie because she wasn't good at it, so she kept her mouth shut.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Ichigo said and let the girl go. She had started breathing raggedly and trembling in his arms. If she did know anything about what had happened to him, there had to be a better way of finding out then this.

"Turn on the light, I swear I won't hurt you." He told her.

With a frantic hand Liz found and flipped on the light at the bottom of the stairs. She then turned to face the man behind her and what she seen made her knees go weak. There at the foot of her stairs stood a real life Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo had thought that turning on the light would help calm the girl. Instead it seemed to upset her all the more. Her eye's grew big and round as if she were beholding something truly horrific. Then she put her hand to her mouth to stifle a scream. She set down on the stairs and put her head between her legs all the while saying over and over "This can't be real. This can't be real."

Unsure how to respond to the girl Ichigo hoped to comfort her. "Hey clam down, everything's fine. Do have a heart condition or something?" He asked (with the way everything was going he wouldn't have been surprised.)_ "Yeah that's just my luck, give the poor girl a heart attack."_

"You're you. You're Ichigo!" She stated.

"How the hell do you know my name?" He demanded, perhaps he had been too quick to judge her innocent.

She seemed completely unaware that he had spoken. "I can't believe that you're here." She said seeming strangely awed by his presence.

"Are you the one who brought me here? Because I can tell you right now that I'm not staying. You can't abduct people and expect them to be happy about it." He told her.

"I didn't abduct you." She said looking surprised at this accusation.

"Then how the hell did I get here?" He yelled in her face. He was becoming exceedingly impatient with the hole situation.

"I don't know how to explain it!" She shouted right back.

"Try." He growled at her.

"Fine, but I need some coffee." She said hoping the coffee would settle her nerves. Either that or she was just going insane and she was talking to herself, in that case coffee wouldn't help.

"I'm losing my mind." She said mostly to herself.

"Yeah well I don't give a shit." Ichigo snapped.

He watched as the girl (who he had decided must be guilty of this whole mess) get her coffee out of the cupboard and start trying to pour little scoop fulls of it into a filter. Her hands were shaking so badly she spilt most of it on the counter top. He suddenly felt like a ass for giving her a rough time. She was obviously very upset and trying her best not to freak out.

"Do you mind telling me what's going on?" He asked after she had started the coffee maker.

"Ha, I'm not sure you'll believe me if I tell you." She said without looking at him.

"Well I've seen some strange things in my life so you might as well try me." He said with a sigh.

"That's the thing I don't even know if I believe it." She told him.

"Just get it over with." He stated.

"Well I guess I'll start from the beginning." She said while clearing her troat.

"That's fine." He assured her and pulled off his jacket, gloves and goggles.

Liz lost her train of thought while she watched him pull his goggles over his head and lay them on the counter top. Somehow the coin had made him look just like he had in her poster. _"It must have been because I was looking right at him when I made the wish." _She thought to herself.

"Hey." He said and waved a hand in front of her face. "Are you here?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that you're...er... well I mean I just can't believe your really here." She replied.

"Neither can I so get on with the story." He huffed.

Liz told him the basics. She tried to keep it quick and simple, though she knew that one on one communication was not her strongest attribute.

"Ok let's say I buy this whole magic coin story," he began, "but that still doesn't tell me how you know who I am."

Liz cleared her throat for what must have been the tenth time that night, how could she tell him that until a few minutes ago he had been a fictional character?

"Well I guess there's no way around it." She stated.

"What?"

"Fallow me." She told him and lead the way upstairs.

Ichigo didn't believe he was actually entertaining the whole idea of a magical coin, and taking a strangers word for it no less. _"Shit, this sucks ass, but I don't have any clue what else to I can do right now."_ He grumbled to himself.

Once they reached her room she flipped on all the lights and began searching for something over by her night stand.

"What is it exactly that you're trying to show me?" He asked because he didn't see anything of significance.

Liz had intended to show him all her Bleach mangas and let him figure it out for himself. But once she had entered the room she had seen that the coin was missing.

"Hold on, I can't find the coin!" She told him as she crouched to look under the bed.

Feeling useless from just standing around Ichigo joined in the search. He helped her pull off her bed covers and shake them out. Then when that turned nothing up she began looking in the drawers of her desk.

"So this thing is what got me here, and you lost it." He asked.

"No I didn't lose it! It was right here. I put it on my night stand just before I ran into you down stairs. Wait let me check the there." She hastened to add and hurried out of the room.

Ichigo was going to fallow her but a poster on the back of the door caught his eye. He pushed the door closed so he could see the poster completely.

Downstairs Liz was searching the floor for the coin (thinking maybe she had dropped it somewhere) when Ichigo grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up to face him.

"What the fuck is this?" He asked and held up the poster of himself.

"It's..I..um." She stammered

"What are you, some kind of freaking stalker?" He shouted.

He looked so angry that Liz couldn't think of anything to tell him. Her mind froze just the way it always had when her father flew into one of his drunken rages.

"Answer me!" He yelled.

"You're not real." She said suddenly. "You're an anime and manga character. I'm a fan, and that's why I wished..." She started to say.

"Shut the fuck up!" He demanded, and gestured with his right hand (which held the ripped poster.) His sudden movement caused Liz to flinch and cover her face as if she thought he would strike her.

The sight of Liz flinching away resulted in making some of his temper to deflate, but not so much that he was ready to believe her. He let her go and stalked to the front door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm going home, and I don't ever want to see you again." He ground out.

"But you can't." She gaped.

"The hell I can't!" He replied stubbornly and slammed the door behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ichigo or bleach._

_Authors note: I hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing it._

_Please read and review it means a lot to me._

_Later, Raven._

_**Chapter five**_

It had been about eight hours since Ichigo slammed out of the house and Elisabeth was beginning to wander if she had dreamed the whole thing. Yet there on the kitchen counter lay his hat, gloves and goggles.

Liz was worried about him still she really couldn't think of anything else to do but hope that he would come back. Her first thought was to go looking for him, but he could be anywhere and Pittsburgh Pa was a big place. Then she thought maybe the police would help her, but if they found him, he would probably want her put in jail for kidnaping.

So with no options other then the obvious Liz deiced to wait. And she had waited, for eight long hours. _"If I just stay here I'll go nuts. I have to get out and take my mind off him." _She told herself. She then decided a trip to the grocery store would work well, she could take her mind of Ichigo and find something for supper.

Armed with a twenty dollar bill and bundled up in her thick coat she started on her long walk (heading west) to the store.

About fifteen blocks away Ichigo was (heading east) for Elisabeth's house. After cooling off, the enormity of his situation had really sunk in. He had no money, no identification, and no way to get home. _"I don't know how she got me here but she is going to send me back." _He swore to himself.

The thing that he hadn't realized right away was the fact that he could suddenly read and speak English like a native. He was just a little freaked out by this, because even though he had learned a little English in school it had never been one of his strong points. _"This is way more then something she could have done by herself. Maybe she was telling the truth. After all if she had really kidnaped me she wouldn't have just let me walk out the door."_

He stopped for a moment to get his bearings, _"I think I'm going the right direction."_

He wished he had picked up his gloves because his hands were numb form the cold. _"Shit I don't even know her name, if I can't find her house I'm screwed."_

The farther he walked the more reassured he felt that he was in fact going the right direction.

Elisabeth was making good time in her trek to the store. The wind felt sharp and cold in her face so she was mostly looking down at her feet while she walked. She became aware of a car slowing down and coming to a stop just feet behind her, yet she paid it no mind. Then out of a alleyway stepped Zack and Billy.

"Where you going?" Zack asked, his eye's looking more like they belonged to a wild dog then a boy of 17.

Liz tried to push past them but Billy grabbed her by the arm. She struggled and pushed at him only to have two other boys (the ones who had just gotten out of the car) restrain her.

"You're not going to get the best of us this time bitch." Billy snarled.

Elisabeth decided that the best thing to do was scream, after all she couldn't fight them and surely someone would hear her.

Screaming for help didn't last long when one of the boy's shoved a rag in her mouth. It was then that Liz realized that her situation was fair worse then she had first thought.

They pulled her into the alley and shoved her up against a wall behind a big green dumpster. Fearing for her life Liz began to kick.

"Hold her!" Zack shouted.

The two boys could barely straiten her as she tried desperately to save herself. The first blow of Zack's fist shocked her into immobility. It was then that she got a good look at Zack's eyes. He was high as a kite on something and she had no doubt he wanted to kill her.

Somehow in between the blows of Zack's fist she pulled one arm free and ripped the gag out of her mouth. "HELP ME!" She screamed at the top of her lungs just before Zack kneed her in the stomach. Her legs gave way and she was allowed the fall to the ground. All the air was kicked out of her lungs and she couldn't seem to pull it back in. She could hear Zack and Billy laugh as they kicked her over and over.

Then as suddenly as it had begun everything stopped. She thought she heard someone cry out but she couldn't be sure.

A few moments earlier Ichigo was still on his way to Elisabeth's house when he heard a girl cry out for help. Being the only one on the sidewalk and seemingly the only one who heard her, Ichigo began running toward the origin of the scream.

His long stride ate up the ground beneath him while he searched for the girl. His hands itched for the weight of his sword, but there was nothing to be done about that. Besides he could take the average person in hand to hand combat without blinking an eye.

Just as he thought he was getting close another scream ripped through the air. This one sounded much more frantic then the last. _"Hold on, I'm coming."_ Ichigo implored.

He came to a alley and only took a second to assess the situation. Four guys that looked to be in their late teens were taking turns kicking a girl. One of them held a piece of pipe and moved to use it on the girls head.

Zack pulled his arm back so he could bring the pipe down with more force, but before he could fallow through someone ripped the weapon out of his hand. He looked back to see what so going on only to have the pipe slammed into his own face.

Zack was so high that he barely felt the pipe break he cheek bone. He tried to punch his attacker but the guy was too fast, and Zack only ended up getting his arm grabbed a twisted at an impossible angle.

Ichigo actually used the boy's arm as a handle and threw him at the other boys. The other boys scattered like roaches when Zack came hurtling toward them. This time Zack didn't get up, he lay face down and motionless on the ground.

Billy rushed Ichigo and the fight was over before it had begun. Ichigo flipped backward and landed a hard kick to the underside of Billy's chin as he went.

Billy tried once to get up but his brain shutdown from the hard jostling it had received. The other boy's had made there escape leaving Zack and Billy to fend for themselves.

Ichigo hurried over to where the girl lay on the ground. Her hair was in her face but he quickly recognized her by the scarring on her left hand.

"Oh God, are you ok?" He asked.

She whimpered and flinched away from his touch. Realizing she could be badly hurt Ichigo didn't try and move her. "It's ok you're safe, no one will hurt you." He reassured her.

She lifted her head and with a trembling hand pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I think I'm ok." She told him.

"Can you stand?" He asked.

"Yeah." She answered and started to get up.

"Why did you come back?" She asked and wouldn't take the hand he offered.

"I don't have anywhere else to go." He pointed out. "Why are these guys trying to kill you?"

"It's a long story, I'll tell you later if you want." She told him.

"Right, lets get you home." He agreed.

Zack and Billy had started moaning but they made no move to get up. Liz kicked Billy in the ribs as she walked by. She looked as if she wanted to say something but she cliched her teeth and walked away. Ichigo fell into step beside her and had to restrain himself from reaching for her arm. She looked bad and he wasn't all that sure she could walk home without help.

"Are you sure you don't need a doctor." He asked.

"Believe me, I've had worse." She replied evenly.

Ichigo said nothing, but he was reminded of the way she had covered her face when he had gotten angry. _"I'd like to get my hands on whoever made her so afraid."_ He swore to himself.

Ichigo pulled off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "That's not necessary." She told him.

"Give a guy a brake. You wont go to a hospital. You don't want me helping you up. And now even though your shaking like a leaf you don't want my jacket?"

"Don't take it personally I'm just not used to having anyone around." She confided.

"You weren't out looking for me were you?" He asked.

"Don't flatter yourself, I was on the way to the store." She quipped.

"Ouch I guess I deserved that."

"Yes you did. You accused me of being a stalker and a kidnaper." She huffed. "Thank you though, if you hadn't been there they would have... " She couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"You're welcome." He answered. "When we get to your place I'll call the authorities for you."

"We can't do that." She responded.

"Why not?" He questioned.

"Because technically you don't exist. And I know that once the cops get involved things get very complicated."

"But you could still be in danger." He pointed out.

"Look Ichigo, I screwed up when I made my wish. I didn't think it through and instead of me going to where you were. You ended up coming to me. So the way I see it you are my responsibility. I didn't mean to do this to you, but I can't change what I did. So I intend to find a way to send you back, and there is no way I'm taking the chance of you going to jail."

"Fine have it your way." He grumbled.

"I intend to." She stated.

"I don't even know your name." He said.

"It's Elisabeth but you could call me Liz if you want. And why don't you take your jacket back your lips are turning blue." She added.

Once they reached her house Liz excused herself and went to the bathroom where she washed out her cuts. Thankfully nothing was broken, she was only badly bruised. Her right eye was swelling shut and her lip looked awful.

"You ok?" Ichigo asked again once she emerged from the bathroom.

"Yeah I think people will actually be distracted from looking at my burns for awhile." She told him.

Ichigo didn't know what to say. "Oh ah I see." He stammered.

"It's a joke, Ichigo." She said with a laugh.

"I don't see how that's funny." He stated.

"I'm used to people looking at me and thinking I'm a freak. A few little bruises doesn't matter." She told him. "I mean it's the first thing everyone sees about me. People don't even remember my name sometimes. I'll here them talking about me at school and they'll call me that burned girl." She gave a little unconvincing laugh. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this."

Ichigo had no clue what to say. He wished he could have say that he hadn't seen the burns first. But that would have been a lie. "I'm sorry." He said simply.

"Don't be sorry!" She said suddenly not sounding so calm. "I'm so damned tired of people being sorry. Sorry doesn't mean anything, it's only a way for people to make themselves feel better when they did nothing to help.

I could have been killed today and you were the only one that took the time to help. You can't tell me that you were the only one who heard me scream. Everyone was so sorry when my mother died but I was the only one who tried to save her." She finished and covered her face to hide the hot tears running down her cheeks.

Ichigo was no good at comforting people but to his credit he did try. He placed one hand on her shoulder, though he wasn't sure she would even except to contact.

"I didn't mean to flip out on you like that. I guess I'm more upset then what I thought." She told him as she wiped her eye's.

"It's ok, what happened would have shook anyone up." He answered.

"Are you hungry I could order us a pizza?" She asked deliberately changing the subject.

"Uh I guess I could eat." He said.

"Ok what do you like on your pizza?"


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ichigo or Bleach._

_Authors note: I hope you like this chapter, I know I'm enjoying writing this fic._

_Thank you so much for the reviews, and please read and review this one._

_Later, Raven._

_**Chapter six**_

A few hours passed and Ichigo was no closer to finding out how he would get home. Liz had turned the house upside down while she'd been waiting for him to come back. After looking everywhere there could be only one conclusion, the coin was gone. She had no idea how it had vanished but stranger things had happened recently.

"First thing we need to find out is if you were created when I made this wish. Or if there is actually a place where you should exist." Liz stated and produced a pad and paper.

"Hey, that's kinda offensive, I exist just like you or anyone else. And my world is just as real as this one." Ichigo complained.

"Like it or not I think this is a relevant argument. We can't send you somewhere that only subsists in your mind." She pointed out.

"Ok know-it-all how is it that you plan to prove or disprove it either way?" He asked.

"By writing down the evidence in this book. Look I have made two sides, one is positive and one is negative. Positive stands for if you do really have a home to go back to, and negative is–

"I get the picture." He cut her off.

"Ok here's the plan, when we discover something that either supports or disproves your world we will write it down in the book. So that way we'll have a more clear picture of what we're dealing with." She told him.

"Oh dear God, save me from women who think they can sum up the universe on paper." He groaned.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She said with a scowl.

"Nothing. Give me the book."

"Here." She huffed and handed the book to him.

He took it and wrote something down, he then handed it back to her with a slightly smug expression.

She read his entry. "Yes well the fact that you are here is redundant." She told him.

"I don't think so." He argued. "My life is far from redundant."

"I didn't mean it that way. I was just saying that you being here proves nothing." She added.

"It proves that I'm alive."

"Arghh but we know that. Why are you making this so difficult?" She demanded.

"I'm not making it difficult, you're just impossible to get along with!" He yelled.

"Fine have it your way, if you want to be a big baby about it!" She shouted back.

"Hey I didn't ask to come here and be yelled at by some little girl." He said and set his jaw at a stubborn angle.

"Well excuse me but I was under the impression that you were a mature acting guy. Obviously I was wrong." She snapped back.

"Well you're no not so mature yourself." Ichigo retorted because he couldn't come up with anything better.

"Fine then if you want to be a jerk go right ahead. No one can make me help you go home. You can go to hell for all I care." She told him evenly, then without another word she stormed out of the room.

Ichigo heard her slam bedroom her door so hard that he marveled when nothing fell off the walls.

"_Fuck why did she wish for me? Didn't she realize that we'd mix about as well as oil and water?" _He grumbled to himself.

Some time later, Liz emerged from her room carrying a stack of manga. Ichigo didn't guess what they were until she plopped them down in his lap.

"There's my proof (if there is in lingering doubts) as you can see this is the manga you are a character in." She told him as she practically shoved the first volume in his face.

Ichigo took the book with a frown, it made him just a little unnerved looking at the thing.

For a long time he said nothing, he just flipped through the manga in silence. Then he moved the whole stack of the manga to the table near him. Silence filled the room and Liz thought perhaps she should leave him alone for a while. After all it must have been very shocking to see ones life printed out like that.

"What if you're right, what if I don't have a home to go back to?" He asked though it hurt him to even consider all his friends and family could had never existed.

"Lets hope that's not the case." She said. "But if it is we'll figure something out."

"Tomorrow we can start looking for the old man who gave me the coin. It stands to reason that he would know more about the coin then we do." She stated.

"Yeah." He replied sedately.

"We need to think of something we can tell my uncle when he comes home." She added.

"I'll go along with whatever." He murmured.

"Ok I guess I just tell him you're a friend from school who needs a place to stay." She said.

"You think that will work?" He asked.

"Well to tell the truth I have no idea. He is kinda hard to predict. But anyway come upstairs, I'll show you where you can sleep." She sighed.

Ichigo fallowed her upstairs to the guest bedroom. She opened the door but paused before going in. "What the hell?" She said after flipped on the light.

"What?" Ichigo asked an peered around her into the room

The guest room had always been sparsely furnished, with only the necessities and a few old photos here and there. But now the room was filled with all kinds of stuff that Elisabeth recognize.

"That's my stuff!" Ichigo exclaimed from behind her.

Liz moved to one side and let Ichigo into the room. He picked up a guitar that was standing propped against the foot of the bed. "Did you wish for this?" He asked.

"No, I had no idea all this stuff was here. She told him.

Ichigo moved over to the closet and looked inside. "Looks like all my clothes are here too."

"Wow I don't know what to think." Liz gaped.

"If you didn't know about this stuff, I wander if there is anything else we don't know about." Ichigo questioned.

"I have no idea. I still have a hard time believing you're here." She stated.

Ichigo said nothing. He set down on the bed and draped his arms over his bent legs. His head dropped froward and he suddenly looked very tired. "I keep thinking they may need me and I'm not there to help them." He confided.

"If I could take my wish back I would." She stated because guilt was like a knife in her heart. "I promise I will do everything I can to get you back home Ichigo."

Ichigo looked up at the girl, some part of him was still angry but he couldn't quite bring himself to dislike her. Her face was badly bruised and her eye nearly swollen shut and yet she hadn't said a word about it. She was tough if she was anything, and he couldn't help but like that.

"You should put some ice on that." He said indicating her face.

"What? Oh yeah I guess I should leave you alone anyhow." She replied and backed out of the room

After she was gone Ichigo looked around the room. It still held some things that must have been there before. Like the family photo setting on the dresser.

He walked over and picked it up. In the picture a young woman held a dark haired baby girl. Ichigo assumed the woman was Elisabeth's mother (because without her scars Liz would have looked just like her.)

The woman's face was in a word beautiful. She had high cheekbones, arched eyebrows, ebony eyes, and thick red lips. Her olive complection was clear and blemishes. The woman could have been on the cover of magazines.

Her dark hair was hanging in long waves around her oval face and she was smiling at her baby rather then at the camera.

"_It looks like she really loved Elisabeth."_ He thought.

"_She said she tried to save her mother, is that how Elisabeth got her scars? Seems like that would be the first thing she'd wish to change." _He wondered.

"Ichigo, I'm going to take a shower, so just yell through the door if you need anything." Elisabeth called from the hallway.

Ichigo put down the picture as if he had been caught snooping. "Sure thing." He called back.

Soon he heard the shower running and he found himself wandering back downstairs. There on the coffee table lay the volumes of manga that held his life story. In his frustration he had the irrational urge to burn them all, still he knew that wouldn't help his situation. With a defeated sigh he set down a began reading.

At a glance the manga seemed to tell the whole story but Ichigo began to realize that there where big chunks of happenings that were missing. Like the party that he had gone to with his some friends from school. Or the time he had introduced Rukia to video games.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. _"If I have memories that are not in this book then my world must exist somewhere."_ Quickly he picked up the note book and wrote down his thoughts in the positive column.

Just as he was finishing up, the front door opened and in walked a man who Ichigo assumed was Elisabeth's uncle.

"_Shit I can't remember the story Liz wanted us to tell him."_ Ichigo thought with slight panic.

Charley blinked at Ichigo for a moment then his face spilt into a wide smile. "Ichigo, I wasn't expecting you to be here until tomorrow, It's so good to see you my boy." He welcomed.

Ichigo was speechless. "I.. ah... well... ah.." He stammered as he tried to understand this turn of events.

"Uncle Charley." Liz called from atop the stairs. "I was just going to explain to you about Ichigo."

"Liz, why didn't you call me and tell me his plane was here? I would have took off work early and we could have picked him up together." Charley asked.

Liz was taken aback. "Well I didn't know." She started to say. As soon as she's heard her uncle get home she had thrown on a bath robe and hurried to speak to him.

"No matter, he's here now. Why don't you get dressed and we can all go out for dinner." Charley told her.

"Yeah ok." Liz agreed for lack of understanding what was going on.

"I have to get something from my room." Ichigo stated and rushed up the stairs taking two steps at a time.

Once he reached the hallway Ichigo grabbed Liz by the arm and pulled her into his room. "What the hell is going on? Your uncle acts like he knows me." He asked in a hushed tone.

"I don't know, I'm just as confused as you are. But whatever he thinks there's no need to try and argue with him. At least he's not trying to kick you out the door." She stated.

"That's easy for you to say. But this is my life that's all fucked up, not yours." He growled at her.

"Just go along with it and try not to freak out on me." She said. "Now, do you mind if I go get dressed?"

Ichigo glanced down as if just noticing her bathrobe, she was clutching the front together with one hand. It occurred to him that she must be feeling extremely uncomfortable. "I'm sorry." He said and moved to let her leave the room.

Liz went to her room and Ichigo waited in the hall for her. When she emerged she was wearing nearly the same outfit she'd had on before.

"Do you always try to look like a boy?" He asked, not thinking about how rude his question sounded.

"Do you always run your mouth before thinking?" She said without missing a beat.

Ichigo didn't reply, he knew that speaking would only dig him a deeper hole.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ichigo. _

_Authors note: Thank you so much for the reviews. I real love it when I get feed back. I clear up some stuff in this chapter so read closely._

_Thanks again and please read and review._

_Later, Raven._

_**Chapter seven**_

"Elisabeth! What happened to your face?" Charley asked once he got a good look at his niece.

"Oh it's nothing Uncle Charley don't worry about it, I fell and hit my face." She replied casually.

"Liz your eye is nearly swollen shut. You can't tell me you did this in a fall" Charley stated, concern knitting his brow.

"Really Uncle it's nothing to worry about." She repeated.

"Who did this Liz? Tell me, why won't you let me help you?" Charley questioned.

Ichigo started to speak but Liz shot him a warning glare. "No I really just fell on some ice... I didn't catch myself because it was so slick. It hardly hurts at all, it's nothing." She lied knowing that her uncle didn't believe a word of it.

"Well in any case I'm glad that Ichigo will be walking to school with you from now on." Charley replied.

Ichigo and Liz exchanged looks. "What do you mean he'll be walking to school with me?" She asked.

"Well I would assume that you two would, since you'll be going to the same school." Charley stated.

Liz was so confused at this point she decided to just keep her mouth shut.

They loaded into the car and despite Elisabeth's protests chose a busy steak house that Charley claimed to have the best steaks in the state.

Once inside, Ichigo had to agree with Liz that the place was a bit to crowded, but they were seated quickly enough and the menu looked promising.

Liz had hoped to get the seat closest to the wall but Ichigo chose that one. _"So much for letting the girls be seated first."_ She grumbled to herself.

"So Ichigo, how is your family?" Charley asked.

"Um they're fine." Ichigo answered, though he was still lost as to how Charley could know him.

"Good, good." He replied "Isn't it nice to go out for dinner sometimes Liz?" Charley questioned.

"Yeah it's great." Liz agreed absently.

Ichigo glanced at Liz and took note of the fact that she looked miserable. She had her hair down as she had before, with the left side combed to cover some the scars on her face. She had her scarred hand tucked in her lap and for the most part seemed like she was trying her best to be invisible.

The waitress came to take their orders. She had to be nearly the same age as Ichigo. She was tall with long blond hair, blue eye's and a sweet smile. She gave Ichigo a flirtatious wink and told him she would be right back with their orders.

"Should I have her give you her number?" Charley teased.

"No." Ichigo said a little too quickly.

"Aww Ichigo are you shy?" Elisabeth asked with a sly smirk. "Don't worry Uncle, he plains on wooing her once she comes back with the food." She finished with mischief lighting her eyes.

Ichigo was about to retaliate when a child not far from them began speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Mommy what's wrong with that girl's face?"

All the laughter went out of Elisabeth and her shoulders slumped as if she carried a terrible weight.

"Liz I'm sorry." Charley stated quietly.

"It's ok, kids don't know any better." Liz added.

The meal was delivered while Charley talked Ichigo's ear off. All the while Ichigo kept glancing at Liz to try a guess her mood. She didn't seem too upset even after what that snot nosed brat had said.

The kid and his parents had left after they finished their meal and a middle-aged couple had taken their place.

Charley was regaling them with a story that shouldn't have been discussed in mixed company when Ichigo noticed the middle-aged woman kept looking their direction.

Because she was eating Liz had tucked her hair behind her left ear exposing most of her scarred face. Ichigo couldn't help but shiver at the full view of deep scars. From what he could see the scars continued down her neck and probably covered the whole left half of her body. She was eating with her right hand but she was using her left hand to lift her glass. On her lift hand she was missing her pinky and ring finger. Ichigo wandered if she had been lift handed before her scars.

The middle-aged couple's food was just arriving and the woman started telling the waitress something.

Liz was actually having a ok time, Charley was telling one of his raunchy stories, when the couple next to them got her attention. The woman wanted to move to another table.

"We just think another table would be more comfortable for us." The man beside the woman told the waitress.

"What Henry is trying to say is how can you expect us to have a appetite when that scarred girl is setting right there in sight!" The woman stated arrogantly.

A hush fell over the room, everyone had heard what the woman had to say.

Liz pushed away from the table quietly while Charley and Ichigo shot to their feet. Judging from the looks on the other patrons faces they were mostly in shock.

Quickly Liz tried to leave with what was left of her dignity.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Charley asked the woman who didn't seem the least bit sorry for what she had done.

"People who look like that should stay at home where that can't offend others." The woman replied.

"And people like you should be taken out and shot." Ichigo stated evenly. Then just before he walked past the woman he picked up her plate of food and dumped it in her lap.

While Charley was paying the tab Ichigo when out to the car. He found Elisabeth leaning against the passenger side door.

"Liz I.." He began but he had no idea what to say.

"Don't say you're sorry." She told him without looking up.

"Ok I won't, but are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah I'll be fine." She answered.

Charley came out of the building with a frown on his face. "Liz I'm so sorry, are you ok?" He asked as he reached out to touch her arm. She jerked away from him and wouldn't look up.

"Liz please don't push me away." Charley begged.

"I don't want your pity." She stated with conviction.

"Liz we've been through this, I don't pity you, I'm just trying to be here for you." He tried to tell her.

She set her jaw and refused to speak.

"Here you forgot your coat." Charley said as he tried to place the coat over her shoulders.

She took the coat out of his hands and climbed into the car.

The ride home was tense and Ichigo wished all the more that he was back in his world.

Later that night Liz had gone outside to set on the porch. Ichigo was getting himself a glass of water and Charley was working on his laptop at the kitchen table.

"Ichigo I want to talk to you." Charley told him.

Ichigo took a seat at the table and waited for Charley to begin.

"I just wanted to let you know that it's not always like this here. Usually things go much more smoothly. But Liz she has been through a lot and she needs patience."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me Sir." Ichigo assured him.

"No, I just want you to understand. That's the reason I asked your dad to let you come for a long visit. I don't know how much he told you, but Elisabeth's therapist told me it would be good for her to have someone else around. She's blocking herself off from the world and there's nothing I can do about it." Charley confided.

"What can I do about it? I don't even know her." Ichigo stated without thinking.

"I know, but you are cousins and the same age, I was hoping you could show her that not every man is horrible." Charley added.

Ichigo looked hesitant so Charley pleaded. "Please just give it a try."

Ichigo knew it was none of his business but he had to ask. "What happened to her?"

"I don't feel right telling you everything because Liz is such a private person. But you have to understand why she's the way she is." Charley paused as if gathering his thoughts.

"Her father was very abusive, and it drove her mother (my sister) insane.

One day my sister called me and told me to pick Liz up at a convenience store not far from where they lived. When I arrived Liz wasn't there, so I went to their home. When I got there the house was going up in flames. The firemen were bringing Liz out and..." Charley stopped to clear his throat, "She looked so bad I thought she was dead. It was the most horrific thing I have ever seen. She had gone in to try and save her mother but of course it was too late. My sister was dead and Liz ended up with second and third-degree burns on 40 percent of her body."

Ichigo didn't speak, what could one say about something so terrible.

"Liz is very strong but she doesn't understand that she needs people in her life. She can't just stay at home all the time and be happy. I thought if you were here she would see that."

"I'm not sure you have the right guy." Ichigo stated.

"I am." He answered, and with that he stood up and left the room.

Ichigo went outside and found Liz setting on the front stairs. She was hugging herself to keep warm and she glanced at Ichigo when he joined her in the steps.

"Your uncle thinks I'm a cousin of yours." He informed her.

"We don't have any cousins." She told him.

"Ok well that's what he thinks. And I'm assuming it has something to do with the wish you made."

"I guess maybe the coin gave you a identity at the same time it brought you here." She said quietly.

"He's also is worried about you." He added.

"I know."

"Why don't you just talk to him?" He questioned.

"Because it's not that simple. If were to tell him how I feel it would hurt him."

"It was just a suggestion." Ichigo sighed.

"Yeah I know."

"Tomorrow we can start looking for that old man and maybe find a way to send you home." She mumbled.

"Yeah."

"I don't know what I was thinking wishing for you. I had know idea how annoying you'd be in person." She said.

Ichigo looked at her and realized she was joking. "Well you're no prize yourself." He grumbled.

"Hold it." She said with a genuine smile.

"What?" He asked.

Liz reached over and roughed up his mass of orange hair. "I've always wanted to do that." She told him.

"My hair is not here for your entertainment!" He shot back.

"Well the way I see it, as long as you're here I might as well enjoy you." She replied then she got up and headed back inside. "Well I'm going to bed. Oh and since you don't have yours here, you can use my toothbrush if you want." She said as she got up.

"That's disgusting." He snapped.

"Fine you can use my uncle's then." She said and went into the house.

* * *

_Authors note: Ok if you're thinking that there is no way anyone would be as rude as that lady was in the restaurant. Let me assure that I have worked with the public and I know how rude people can be._

_It's so despicable how cruel people can be to other people. What's worse is that we live in a world where bulling and putting people down is tolerated. _

_Ok I'll get of my soap box now._

_Laver, Raven._


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I don't own bleach._

_Authors note: Sorry this chapter is so short but I put another up this weekend._

_Please read and review, and thank you to all my reviewers! You mean so much to me._

_:Hugs: Raven._

_**Chapter eight**_

"Captain Crunch or Coco pebbles?" Liz asked a half awake Ichigo.

"Whatever." He yawned.

"Ok since I like Captain Crunch best and it's almost gone, I'll give you the Coco pebbles." She chirped and began pouring the cereal into his bowl.

"Fine." Ichigo murmured.

Liz had woke Ichigo at five in the morning claiming that he should get up and have breakfast.

Charley was rushing around apparently getting ready for a trip somewhere. "Oh that's my cab!" He said at the sound of a car horn outside.

"Liz don't be afraid to spend some money. And try not to speed when you're driving." He called just as the started out the door.

"Sure thing." She answered.

Just before he left, Charley hesitated at the door he then rushed back into the kitchen. He started to touch Elisabeth's shoulder but she flinched away. "I love you Liz." He said awkwardly.

Elisabeth's face closed up, if she felt anything she wasn't showing it. "That's fine." She stated as if he had just commented on the weather.

"Yes well I'll see you both in a few days." Charley added.

"Later." Ichigo told him.

The sound of the door closing was the only thing that broke the silence of the room.

Liz set looking at her bowl of cereal without really seeing it. She felt so ashamed of herself, she knew it had been wrong to ignore Charley's affection, but she couldn't bring herself to respond. _"He's a wonderful Uncle, he gives me everything I want. He tries so hard to make me happy. But I just can't care about him the way I should. It's like that part of me is dead. Maybe it is. Maybe my heart died when my Dad..._

"Elisabeth!" Ichigo said breaking through her thoughts.

"What." She snapped.

Ichigo took her hand in his. She had been holding her glass of orange juice but at some point she'd squeezed to so hard that it shattered. Her hand was now a bloody mess and Ichigo was pulling chunks of glass out of her palm.

"Shit, if you're going to freak out don't do it when I'm the only one here." He told her as he got up and pulled her over to the sink.

She stood and watched as Ichigo held her hand under the cold water. Her mind felt blank like it always had when she thought about her father. "You're Uncle told me some things about you." He stated as he examined her cuts.

"Yeah I thought he would. He thinks that people should know about my life, so they can understand me." She replied.

"You don't agree?" Ichigo asked and glanced at her.

"How can you make anyone understand what they haven't been through?" She said.

"You do have a point. But there's something that I wanted to ask you." He added.

"What?"

"Why didn't you wish away your scars?" He said as he turned off the water and wrapped her hand in a towel.

"Because if I didn't have these scars my father would still be alive." She stated levelly.

"I see." He murmured.

Ichigo stood grim and soundless He knew it was a bad idea to get involved in Elisabeth's life and her problems, yet he couldn't seem to help himself. He was a natural protector and when he seen that someone was hurting he felt a need to help them.

"After this you probably think I'm crazy, or suicidal." She stated and held up her wrapped hand.

"I think it's just like you said, no one can understand unless they went through the same thing." He sighed heavily.

"Thank you." She breathed.

"For what?" He asked.

"For being you." She told him.


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach._

_Authors note: I'm so sorry this took so long. _

_I hope you enjoy._

_Thanks for all the reviews._

_Please read and review._

_Later, Raven._

**Chapter nine**

It was nearly 9:00 am and Ichigo was beginning to understand what Charley had meant when he told Liz not to speed. She was driving 77 miles an hour in a 55 zone and it didn't look like she was slowing down.

"Uh Liz don't you think you should slow down a little." He asked nervously.

"Huh? Oh sorry." She said and let off the gas. "I have a little bit of a lead foot. It only happens when I'm not concentrating on my driving." She confided.

"Well would you please concentrate!" He all but shouted.

"Oh calm down." She huffed and hit a button on the stereo.

Liz smiled as the song Coming Undone by Korn filled the car with it's grungy beat. She glanced over and Ichigo and took note of his stiff posture. He was obviously nervous from her driving and she had to take a little pity on him. She let off the gas until they were going a mere 62 then she glanced at him again. "You know people have made AMV's about you using this song." She called over the music.

"What?" He asked.

"I said," she started again and turned the volume down, "people have made AMV's about you using this song."

Ichigo was a bit taken aback, he was still having a hard time adjusting to the idea that in this world he was only a popular fictional character. "Why would anyone want to make a AMV about me?" He questioned.

"Well let's see, because you're cool." She stated matter-a-factly.

"Yeah whatever." He scoffed. Then he listened to the lyrics a little more closely.

"Why would they use this song? It's about someone going crazy." He asked with a frown.

"Oh uh well because of the problems you had." She stated absently. Her mind was focused on the road more then they're conversation so she didn't consider the weight of his question.

"What problems? I'm not that screwed up." He defended.

"You know what I mean. I'm talking about your problems with your hallow self."

As soon as she said it she wanted to take the words back. But it was too late and she could only hope that he would know what she was referring to.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm a person not a hallow!" He demanded.

Elisabeth's hands jerked the steeringwheel, how could she have been so careless. Now Ichigo would want to know more about everything and she wouldn't feel right telling him. She could just imagine what was going through his mind. To him a hallow was a dead person and to have someone say "oh you know, your hallow self," must have been a bit upsetting.

"It's nothing, forget it." She lied.

"The hell it is. Tell me what you meant right now!" He argued.

Her mind race with what his lack of knowledge meant. _"Since he doesn't know what I'm talking about that means he hasn't been trained by Urahara yet. And Rukia hasn't been taken yet."_ She guessed.

"It's nothing to worry about." She told him.

"Don't give me that bullshit you're lying through your teeth. If you know something's going to happen to me, tell me dammit!" He shouted.

"NO!" She replied stubbornly.

"Then I'll just read about it in the manga of your's." He announced.

"No you can't, it wouldn't be a good idea to know about suff that hasn't happened to you yet." She told him.

"How the hell would you know if it's a good idea or not?" He snapped.

"It just doesn't seem right. I'm sorry but I can't tell you about it Ichigo."

He sighed heavily as if her would except her decision.

"I didn't mean to start this." She stated.

"That makes me feel so much better." He replied dryly.

Ichigo looked out his window though the view was of a wall. He was brooding but he didn't much care how childish it was. They were on their way to the first stop in their search for the old man. And he was just feeling impatient with his need to get home.

Suddenly Liz slammed her foot on the brakes while turning the wheel to the hard left. Tires screamed and the car went into a spin. Then just as suddenly as it had begun everything stopped. Liz whipped her head around to see if any other cars were heading toward them, everything looked safe for the moment.

Ahead of them a truck had suddenly overturned as if it had been ripped of the road and tossed. Liz did the only thing she could thank the do (Slam on her brakes and turn into the skid.)

Though she was in the car tremors like that of a small earthquake reverberated into her seat. They where solid heavy thuds like that of a large hoof striking the pavement with a huge weight. Something was out there, something that didn't belong, she could feel it in her gut like a sick gnawing.

Her breath came in quick short gasps and with every intake she could smell something that could only be described as burning flesh. She knew that scent all to well and it made her heart thunder in panic.

Ichigo didn't need to asked what was happening after the car had stopped. One look outside told him all he needed to know.

About 50 feet ahead of them stood a huge hallow like creature. It ripped open the over turned truck and pulled out the driver as if the man were a mouse hiding in a child's toy.

Elisabeth's eye grew wide as she watched the driver of the truck being ripped from his cab by a unseen force.

"Liz get out of the car and run as fast as you can." Ichigo told her as he reached for his door handle and climbed out.

"Is it a hallow?" She asked even as she gripped his arm.

"I said run!" He ordered.

"No! I'm not leaving you alone." She told him stubbornly.

He reached into the car and drug her out his door. The thing was looking at them now, the truck driver lay in a bloody heap on the pavement. Ichigo wasn't sure the thing was a hallow but he was sure it planed to kill everyone it could get it hands on. He shoved Liz behind him as the thing started toward them. It's face looked like a mixture of ox and ape. On it's head were large horns that pointed backward then out. It's feet were two large cloven hooves and it's eye's seemed to be burning from the inside.

"Liz run now, I'll be right behind you." He breathed.

"Is it coming?" She questioned.

Ichigo realized that she couldn't see the monster. He pushed her away from him in hopes of getting her going, but she wouldn't be moved. Cursing under his breath Ichigo moved forward and off to the right in hopes of drawing the thing away from Liz.

"Ichigo don't!" She called after him. "Stupid stubborn bastard." She swore as she watched Ichigo rush his invisible foe.

More trimmers shook the ground as the thing no doubt advanced on Ichigo. A car came careening around the bend and the driver couldn't put his brakes on in time. He crashed head-on into the overturned truck narrowly missing Ichigo as he flew past. Ichigo didn't miss a beat, he grabbed a piece of debris and swung at the monster. Liz knew when he made contact by the slid thunk sound, yet she had no way of knowing if he had done any damage.

Suddenly Ichigo leapt into the air as if he were dodging and the cement wall (he had been standing in front of ) was mashed. Dust and rubble rained down on the monster and for the first time Liz got an idea of how huge the thing was. She could now see a vague outline of the monster's head and shoulders where the dust had settled on him.

Another car came around the bend and this time Ichigo had to jump out of the way or be hit as it skidded to a halt. The monster was so focused on Ichigo that it merely seen the new car as a obstacle. It picked up the car and sent it hurtling down the road. Two other cars came in contact with the tumbling car causing a pileup just before the bend.

Ichigo was beginning to get worried. The hollow, or whatever it was, showed no signs of slowing down in it's drive to get it's hands on him. It's long tapered tongue slithered out of it's mouth and licked slime covered lips. "Pretty..Pretty boy.. I.. I taste you." It rumbled in a voice that sent shivers down Ichigo's spine.

"You're not tasting me." Ichigo shouted as he rushed the thing again.

The thick bar of metal in Ichigo's hands broke in two from the force of his blow. The thing reacted quickly and managed to catch Ichigo in one of its huge hands.

"Ichigo!" Liz screamed.

The thing turned its head and looked at Liz as if it had just then noticed her presence. "Soft.. Soft sweet girl." It laughed and started towards Liz.

No longer caring about eating Ichigo when he could eat a soft little girl instead, the thing threw Ichigo with great force onto the pavement. Ichigo landed with a hard crack to the head. With the world spinning he tried to rise to his feet. He could feel the ground shake as the thing made it's way over to Liz._ "Liz run!"_ He tried to scream but his lungs would not pull in the air he needed.

Elisabeth's mind raced, what could she do? That thing was so huge would be impossible to out run it. But Ichigo was hurt and if it got her he would be all alone. Quickly she climbed into her car and started the engin with trembling hands. "Please just let everything be ok." She prayed as she threw the car into drive and gunned it.

It was like slamming into a brick wall, there was no give, only take. The front of the car crumpled like a paper bag. And the force of the crash and her air bag knocked Liz out cold.

Ichigo finally pulled himself to his feet just as something black whizzed past him. At first he thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. But then the black blur attacked the monster. Ichigo blinked as the monster fought its new foe.

In moments Ichigo realized he was indeed looking at something solid though it was covered in a long black hooded cloak.

It was moving with a supernatural speed and in one hand the dark specter held a long extremely wicked looking scythe.

In a span of only seconds the specter had used the scythe to slice the monster completely in half. With a burst of dark energy the monster's huge body disintegrated into the air.

The specter stood only a few yards away his scythe clutched easily in one hand. His face or (rather all that showed of it under his cowl) was that of a skull. No eyes shown out of seemingly empty sockets.

Liz regained consciousness and got to Ichigo's side as fast as her wobbly legs would carry her.

"Ichigo." She said once she reached him.

"Liz don't move." He commanded and hoped for once she would do as he said.

"What? I thought it was gone." She breathed.

"It is but.." He started yet he didn't want to scare her.

"You have nothing to fear from me." The specter told him.

Ichigo was unconvinced so he wasn't putting his guard down. "Fear is the last of my concerns." He snapped.

Deliberately the specter let go of his scythe causing it to simply vanish at will. After that he lifted his hand and pushed back his thick cowl. With the cowl gone it became apparent that he was merely wearing a mask. He then pushed back the mask revealing a very human and beautiful face.

Liz gasped as the person Ichigo was talking to appeared right before her eyes. His blond curly hair caught the sun like so much spun gold. His green eyes held Liz transfixed, he was the most beautiful creature she had ever lead eye's on, and most of his body was hidden under that black cloak. Liz wasn't sure she would have survived the shock of seeing his body all at once._ "What a crazy time to be ogling men."_ She thought giddily.

"You both reek of feral magic." The newcomer stated.

"What, who are you?" Ichigo demanded.

Emergency vehicles could be heard in the distance. Ichigo glanced at the road behind them expecting to see ambulances rounding the bend any moment.

"The girl is going into shock." The newcomer told Ichigo in a flat tone.

Ichigo brought his attention to Liz who had seemingly zoned out.

"Liz are you ok? Liz talk to me." He asked her as he settled his hands on her shoulders.

She blinked several times as if she was having a hard time focusing. "Your head is bleeding." She stated matter-a-factly.

"I'm fine." He told her as he stripped out of his jacket.

"The man is gone." She pointed out.

Ichigo glance up at where the stranger had be standing. Sure enough the guy was nowhere in sight. "The ambulance will be here any second, then will get you warmed up and feeling better." He told her.

"I'm fine." She replied. "I feel really numb."

Ichigo didn't say anything, she was definitely going into shock.

The authorities arrived and started picking up the pieces. Three people were dead and the rest were badly injured. Ichigo and Liz were the only ones able to walk.

Liz decided to play it dumb and claim that she couldn't remember anything. Better to let Ichigo make up the story about how the whole thing happened.

XxXxX

It was 9:00 pm before they finally got home. Ichigo had flat out refused any kind of medical attention, claiming that he was only scratched. Liz on the other hand had somehow ended up being given a full battery of tests at the hospital.

Once home Liz trudged over to the couch and let slowly let herself down into it's softness. Ichigo had found himself a ice-pack from the freezer and was holding it gingerly to his throbbing skull.

"Hs frut hs fru har hi fumh frumha humhum." Liz mumbled into her pillow.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

Liz turned her head out of the pillow and smiled a little. "I said, As cute as you are I'm beginning to think you're unlucky."

"Ha, well my life was gong fine until you made that wish." He huffed.

Liz was to tired to reply while she felt herself drifting off to sleep. She soon she was in to deep to notice Ichigo pulling off her shoes, or covering her with the throw from the back of the couch.

About two hours later wakefulness hit Liz like a ton of bricks. Suddenly everything came rushing back including the conversation she and Ichigo had been having before the crash.

"Ichigo!" She gasped as she shot up off the couch and rushed up the stairs to her room.

There on her bed set Ichigo, the Bleach manga scattered by his side. He didn't even look up when she entered. In his hand he held the volume where Rukia had been taken back to Soul Society by force.

"Ichigo please don't be angry." She pleaded as she took two tentative steps toward him.

"You weren't going to tell me." He stated and met her eyes. "She's going to be executed if I'm not there to stop it, and you thought it would be better if I didn't know." His voice rose with every word.

"I didn't know, I thought you had already saved her. Believe me I didn't wish for this. I never meant to hurt anyone. All I wanted was..." She couldn't bring herself to tell him that all she wanted was to be someone that he cared about. Someone that he would go after just the way he had for Rukia.

"I'm so sorry." She said at last.

"You were right before. Sorry doesn't mean a damn thing." He sneered just before he left.

_

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_

_Authors note: Ok let me do a little explaining. My idea is that though there are not hallows per say in Liz's world there are hallow like creatures. And so that would make the guy they just met a death god. But he is more like the old English traditional Grim Reaper. _

_More will be put to light as things play out._

_Thanks for reading._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters._

Liz couldn't be sure what brought the memories back to her while she dreamed. It could have been the scent of burning flesh. Or it might have been the trip to the hospital. But whatever it had been, the events of that awful summer day came rushing back as soon as she climbed into bed.

She could feel her father on her. His alcohol and tobacco laced breath was hot in her face. The weight of his body pushed her down into the bed until she thought she would suffocate. And that was when her mother had found her. Liz had been so ashamed, she felt so dirty, and it had made it all the worse when her mother had found out. She remembered her mother saying she would make it alright. That everything would be ok.

The walk to the gas station felt like the longest of her life. All the while she could still feel her fathers filth on her body.

Somehow in her young mind she had assumed that her mother had made a mistake. And that she wasn't just sending her away, that her mother planned to leave with her.

Her mother had given her money to buy something, but she couldn't remember what. She was sitting on the curb, waiting for her uncle, when a fire truck had roared past. For a moment it seemed like time stopped. She could remember thinking how loud the truck was, and even as she brought her hands to her ears, she understood what her mother had done.

The next thing she remembered was running. And as she drew near the house she could see the smoke. The craziest part of the whole thing, was that the fire truck wasn't even going to her house. No one new, but her. She hit the front door and almost didn't go in, yet in the end she had no choice.

And then there were memories of the hospital and pain that wouldn't stop. Uncle Charley had told her about the death of her parents. But she hadn't cried at the time. This seemed to upset everyone all the more, so she quickly learned what to say, and how to act like she was ok. She didn't tell them how she really felt. Like the fact that she was glad her father had burned to death. And she was only sorry that she hadn't died too.

She would wake up chanting to herself saying "It doesn't matter." over and over, as if she could make all her feelings go away. At one time she had thought life would be better if she didn't have them. No one could hurt her if she didn't feel anything.

And now she woke in her own bed trembling from head to toe, like it had all happened over again. Her stomach felt queasy so she went to the bathroom to wash her face.

With a heavy sigh Liz studied her own reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink. Never once since she had run into that burning house had she regretted her decision. In fact she had even wished once or twice that she had been the one to kill her father.

"_How could I even think that? I'm such a ugly person, how can I stand here and wish that I had killed someone? Maybe I'm just as bad as he was. What if I'm turning out to be just as selfish as him? All I ever do is hurt people around me. Charley says he loves me like the daughter he never had, and I make him feel bad because I don't return his affection. I should be able to make him happy but instead I just hurt him. And now Rukia may die because I was being selfish and only thinking about what I wanted._

_No I can't except this! Somehow Ichigo and I will find a way to send him home. I'm responsible for him so I won't just give up before I have even tried. I wish he wasn't mad at me but that can't be helped. My life has been hard from day one, so I can handle this._" She told herself stubbornly.

After drying her face Liz made her way down stairs for a drink and maybe some brainstorming. She found Ichigo setting at the kitchen table.

"Can't sleep?" He asked in a somewhat friendly voice.

Liz paused in the doorway, was he trying to smooth things over with her?

"No I've got a lot on my mind." She muttered as she walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a glass.

Ichigo covertly watched her, she looked so tired, like someone had beaten the life right out of her. His protective side bristled, her father had done that to her no doubt. He had made her into someone that she shouldn't have to be. He worried about Rukia, but something odd was happening to his mind. The memories of his world was becoming fuzzy, they didn't seem as real as they had just hours ago. It was as if he was trying to recall a dream. His world seemed paler than this one, less focused. _"I'm just tired and concussed."_ he told himself.

"Do you want anything?" she asked?

"No, thanks." he said without looking up.

She moved to stand in front of him. She didn't speak for a long moment and when she did her voice was thick with emotion.

"I swear to you Ichigo, if I had known that things would be like this, I would have never made that wish. And I will do everything in my power to get you back home. I never wanted you to leave the people you care about."

"I know that you didn't mean for this to happen." He answered.

"Rukia is very lucky to have you to protect her." She said softly as she turned away.

Ichigo almost called her back, to ask her what she meant by that last comment, but in the end he didn't. She went back to bed and he went to set down in the dark living room. He needed to think though his head still ached.

As he eased his tall body into an easy chair a picture on the wall caught his eye. He didn't get up to look at it right away, because he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. It was a picture of Liz and a small red haired boy.

He stood and took the picture off the wall. He was certain it had not been there before. Yet there it was in his hand... a picture of Liz and him as children. _"Impossible" _he told himself, and even more crazy than the picture was the fact he could remember when it had been taken.

* * *

I hope this is ok, I'm sorry that I never updated sooner, but I had lost everything on my laptop and I just recovered this chapter.

I hope to continue this fic... If anyone wants to read it. .

Thanks, Raven ~


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